Fifth Annual Kasey Kahne Foundation 5K Set for Oct. 12, 2014

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 13, 2013) – The Kasey Kahne Foundation announced today that the fifth annual “Five Kahne” 5K is set for Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 2013 showed substantial growth and fierce competition making the 5K one of Charlotte’s premier events.

In 2013, a record 731 runners, including Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and other NASCAR stars, participated in the fourth annual Kasey Kahne Foundation “Five Kahne” 5K and Kids Dash presented by Great Clips in Uptown Charlotte on Sunday, Oct. 13, following the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With a 61 percent increase from last year’s 455 runners, more than $65,000 was raised in 2013 to support youth programs in the local area including Friends of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which provides grants that fund educational field trips for middle and high school students in career and technical education (CTE) courses and other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte is also a beneficiary.

“As the ‘Five Kahne’ continues to gain momentum and popularity as a premier 5K in the community, we are able to raise more awareness and support for the youth of North Carolina,” says Shanon Adams, executive director of the Kasey Kahne Foundation. “This year we saw the biggest increase in participation and funds raised. It is exciting to watch this event continue to grow and have such a meaningful impact on thousands of youth on an annual basis, exposing them to the business behind the sport of NASCAR through exhibits at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne started the 5K charity run in 2010 with the goal of building an annual event to generate funds for youth causes. During the 2012-2013 school year, 2,012 students from 20 counties across the state traveled to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for an interactive day of learning. Since the partnership between the Kasey Kahne Foundation and Friends of the NASCAR Hall of Fame was created in 2011, approximately 2,587 students have visited the facility as a direct result of these efforts. The Kasey Kahne Foundation is confident the fifth annual 5K in 2014 will be the biggest one yet.

Tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased by calling (877) 231-2010 or at nascarhall.com. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Memberships are available starting at $25 for children and $50 for adults. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is closed on Christmas Day. For more details, visit nascarhall.com. Up-to-the-minute updates are available at facebook.com/nascarhall or by following @NASCARHall on Twitter.

About the NASCAR Hall of Fame Conveniently located in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010, and includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Productions-operated broadcast studio. The venue is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. seven days a week and has an attached parking garage on Brevard Street. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000-square-foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square-foot ballroom. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. nascarhall.com

About the Kasey Kahne Foundation The Kasey Kahne Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3, was created by NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne to raise and donate funds to charitable organizations that care for chronically ill children and their families. The foundation is also dedicated to supporting youth platforms, including educational programs. For more information, visit kaseykahnefoundation.org.